VIDEO: K. Sparks ft. Nation - "Make America Fake Again"

Es-K is an all-time great already. In terms of Vermont producers, the man is without equal. His catalog, his reach, and his consistency all prove it. The past two years have seen him evolve from expert producer -- cranking out quality beats at an unholy pace -- to Executive Producer, putting in the work to transform a collection of songs into a cohesive final product.

You can hear this evolution over his past few collaborative LPs with Loupo, but the real payoff was "Building Bridges," his recent album on Bucktown with General Steele. That album was an exceptional piece of work, and it looks like Es-K has done it again.

"Make America Fake Again" is a single off the upcoming (Oct. 15th) K. Sparks album Urban Couture, and it's a powerful video. K. Sparks is an NYC rapper / entrepreneur -- like Es-K himself, a busy, high-functioning artist at the top of his game. It's a combination that really works, and the album promises to be another exceptional release.

Dolson Beats - Vitamin A (An A-Dog Tribute)

Burlington-based producer Nick Dolson presents a tribute to the late great DJ A-Dog.

Es-K - Spontaneous Grooves Ep. 16

Burlington beatsmith and one-man army Es-K keeps it moving with the sixteenth "Episode" of his epic series for Cold Busted, Spontaneous Grooves. One of my favorite cuts on this album, "Peaz," is a collaboration with Montpelier-based producer Loupo, who is spooky talented and working on some big projects of his own for 2014.

Get Familiar: ILLu

Thirtyseven: What was your introduction to Vermont's hip hop scene?

ILLu: Dave Grippo was my middle school music teacher and seeing his funk band perform at our assemblies with a DJ and Rapper was the first time I realized hip hop was made in Vermont and around Burlington.

Thirtyseven: What is your production process these days?

ILLu: My production process starts when I dig through the crates to find a sample. I'm a big record collector. I record the sample into my MPC, chop it up and rearrange it. Find some drums and do the same to them. After the beat is finished I mix it down into Reaper, add some effects and some finishing touches. At that point I usually consider the beat done and move on to the next.



Thirtyseven: How did you link up with Jenke Arts and how has your experience been so far?

ILLu: I linked up with Jenke by chance really. I brought my MPC to Radio Bean's open mic and performed a (very poorly written) song and scratched some vocal samples over a couple of my beats. Mavstar just happened to be there that night and before I got off the stage he asked if he could freestyle and I said absolutely. Word must've got to Tommy Alexander at Jenke and he asked if I could supply him with some beats for the next Set Up City record and though Tommy I met MC Rajnii, J Kaine, Humble, and Knowble.

Thirtyseven: Do you feel like its harder for producers to make a name in a small scene like Burlington than it would be for rappers?

ILLu: I don't think it's any easier for emcees in Burlington because the population is so small it's hard to build a fan base. But producers have to rely on word of mouth more often then not because they don't have the same avenues to express their art form. Where a rapper can go to an open mic and showcase their skills, a producer doesn't really have that. Especially if they don't DJ.

Thirtyseven: What are your favorite venues in Vermont?

ILLu: Manhattan's Pizza is one of my favorite local venues because it is so diverse in its music, especially their openness towards hip hop with the help of their open mic's and Andy Lugo.

Thirtyseven: Aside from adding a couple hundred thousand young people with disposable income, is there anything you would like to see change in the BTV hip hop scene?

ILLu: I would like to see a Burlington version of the Rock The Bells shows where every one comes together to put on a show, have fun, and showcase their skills.

Thirtyseven: What are your goals for 2014?

ILLu: Goals for 2014 include seeing the beats I've given to local rappers released for everyone to hear. Also would like to link up with a rapper to release a project similar to what the Alchemist has been doing with Action Bronson, Prodigy and Boldy James.

Es-K - "Souloops Vol. 2"

Flames. Burlington producer Es-K is clearly the hardest-working, best-networked producer in the state -- feel free to email me if you think I'm wrong. (If your name is Nastee or E-Train, I will probably agree with you.) This latest release further cements Es-K's track record: dusty, dirty, funky and relentlessly creative. If you're smart enough to be into cassettes, you can actually order this collection on tape. Or you can just hit play and enjoy the most productive 30 minutes you'll have all day...

Get Familiar: AphterDarkBeats

Up in the Northeast Kingdom, the name Hartswick is quite the musical lineage, so it's no suprise to find a young Aidan Hartswick from Underhill hitting us up with a Soundcloud full of beats. We hit him up to talk shop...

Who are your inspirations and where do you want to be in 5 years?

ADB: I listen to all kinds of music from rock, to hip hop, to r&b. As producers, my biggest inspirations are guys like Dreamrite, Captain Midnite, G-Eazy, and Jaynari (of Justice League). For artists, guys like Logic, Problem, The Weeknd, Chance the Rapper, are all big influences on me. Also all of the BeastCoast groups like Pro Era, Flatbush Zombies, and The Underachievers have all been very inspiring and influential for me. In five years, I will want to be graduating from college with a business degree and hopefully still be professionally producing music and working with all sorts of talented artists.



Do you feel like Vermont has an active and supportive hip hop scene?

ADB: For sure. I think this area is just really supportive of music in general. I think Vermont is really open and accepting of all sorts of music and its no different for hip hop. I think VT hip hop is definitely growing, and guys like Jacob Es are just taking it to the next level.



What kind of equipment are you using to produce....and what kind would you like to be using?

ADB: Currently I have a very rudimentary set up with Magix Music Maker and an old midi keyboard from my older sister's piano lesson days. I use a handful of VST's, but in general my set-up is extremely basic. I wish I could be using Reason with some wicked nice MIDI and an MPC and have one of those studios that you see guys like Lex Luger and Jahlil Beats using. But for now what I have works and I'm just happy to be making music.